Jobs under threat as union enters discussion with management at Grangemouth rubber plant

GMB Scotland, which represents workers at Versalis, in Bo’ness Road, confirmed this week discussions are now underway with management.

Dom Pritchard, GMB organiser, said: “There will be no job losses in the short-term but we are in talks with the company over future operations at Grangemouth.

“There are a number of options under discussion but nothing has so far been decided.

"We will keep our members fully informed of developments.”

The news comes just a week after Petroineos – which is located on the same site as Versalis – announced its intention to start an 18-month process to make a

transition at their refinery, moving away from manufacturing to become an import terminal.

Reportedly there may be job losses as early as April next year, but the union could not confirm this and Versalis has yet to respond to The Falkirk Herald’s request for comment on the matter.

Versalis UK is part of the Italian multinational energy company Eni’s chemical division, which has branches all over the world, making plastics, rubbers and developing technologies for polymer recycling.

In South Korea the firm has been working with Lotte Chemical for development in the field of elastomers, while the Versalis Americas, based in Houston, Texas, serves the North American and Mexican elastomer market.

Versalis is also involved in the African Oilfiled Chemicals market, with offices in Ghana, Congo and Angola and in the Middle East in the oilfield sector with VPM, a joint venture with Petrochem/Mazrui Energy Services.